Feed mechanism for printing-presses and similar machines.



W. PROUTY.

FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES AND SIMILAR MACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED DEO.17, 1906.

PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l I I l l I I PATENTED OCT. 29, 1907.

G. W. PROUTY.

FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES AND SIMILAR MACHINES.

APPLIOATION'IILED DEC. 17. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jig I liwcntor: Geprge WProut lllllllllllllllIilIll [lllllllpllllllllllllllllll Vlaltnasses: 72mm c MM of thepresent invention.

UNITED srnrns ATENT oFFIoE.

FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING-FRESSES AND SIMILAR MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29,1901

Application filed December 17. 1906- Serial No. 348.135.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Wl PRoU'rY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Dorwhich provides a ready means of separatingthe rolls for the insertion of new stock without changing the adjustmentof the tension regulating devices.

It has for a further object the provision in a suitable perforatingdevice interposed between the friction mechanism and the feed rollers ofsuitable means for regulating the operation thereof.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andarrangement of parts which will be readily understood by reference tothe description of the drawings and to the claims to be hereinaftergiven.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of aprinting press embodying the features Fig. 2 represents a plan of theend ofa machine of this class. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section online 3 3 on Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4represents a transverse section through the dampening device. Fig. 5represents a transverse section through the friction device and themechanism for regulating the operation of the perforator, and Fig. 6represents a section of the crank mechanism. 7 i

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figuresof the drawings. I v

In the drawings, 10 represents the side frames of a printing press, saidside frames being provided with reciprocating slides 11, having pivotedthereto one end of a draw bar 12, the opposite end of which is connectedto a crank pin 13 mounted upon a revoluble shaft 14 extendingtransversely of the machine from one side frame to the other and mountedin bearings therein. This shaft 14 is driven by means of a gear 15secured to said shaft by means of the crank pin 13 which has a seatpartly in'the gear 15 and partly in the shaft 14'.

The gear 15 meshes with a pinion 16 secured to the end of a revolubleshaft 17 mounted in suitable bearings in the frames 10 and driven in anysuitable man- The reciprocating frames I]. have secured thereto a typebed 18 adapted to cooperate with a platen 19 both of which may be of anywell-known construction adapted for printing an impression upon materialpassed between the two. The crank .pin 13 has secured thereto by meansof a pin 29, a block 21, provided with a diarnetral groove 22 in whichis. mounted a block 23 adjustable lengthwise of said groove and adaptedto be clamped thereto by means of the clamping nut 24. On the shank25'of said block 23 is mounted a collar 26 extending through an openingin one end of a connector.

' 27, the opposite end of which is pivoted at 28 to a pair of levers 29loosely mounted upon one end of the revofrom one side frame 10 to theother and having secured thereto intermediate of said frames the lowerfeed roll 31.

Interposed between the levers 29 and keyed to the shaft 30 as indicatedin dotted lines at 32 in Fig. 1 are two ratchet wheels 33 and 34 eachprovided with a different number of teeth from the other. To the freeends of each of the levers 29 is mounted on the connecting stud 34 thepawls 35 and 36 adapted to mesh respectively with the ratchets 33 and34.

Each of the levers 29 is provided with a supporting pin 37 adapted tosupport one of the pawls 35 and 36 when thrown out of engagement withits cooperating ratchet wheel. It is obvious that only one of the pawls35 is in engagement with a ratchet wheel at a time andwhen the machineis in operation this pawl-will cooperate with its ratchet wheel toproduce an intermittent step by step motion to the feed roll 31 to feedthe material to the impression mechanism or other mechanism operatingupon the material fed. When a different with threaded adjustable members44 bearing upon the upper ends of the boxes '39 to create the proper- Adegree of tension between the feed rolls 41 and 31 to properly operateupon the material being fed. These members 44 are adjustable fordifferent thicknesses of stock and when once adjusted it is undesirableto change the adjustment every time a new piece of material of the samethickness is to be inserted between the feed rollers. To provide forthis the plate 43 has an extension 45 through which extends a shank 46pivoted at 47 to cars 48 extending from the frame 38.:

To the upper end of the shank 46 is threaded thereto a clamping nut 49and interposed between the projection 45 and the shoulders 50 of saidshank 46 is a spring 51. It is obvious that when the nut 49 is loosenedthe spring 51 will act upon the member 43 to move it about its pivot 42,thereby lifting the adjusting members 44.

Beneath the boxes 39 are :spiral. springs 52 which opcrate upon the saidboxes toli-it them and cause them to follow the adjusting members 44when lifted by the movement of the member 43 about the pivot 42, therc-I v either end thereof the lever 77 is provided with bosses byseparatingthe rollers 41 and 31 and permitting readily the insertion of the newmaterial between the same, When this new material has been insertedbetween the-rollers, by means of the nut 49, the plate 43 may readily bereturned to its normal position without varying the adjustment of thethreaded members 44.

In order to more perfectly feed the strips of material between the feedrolls it is essential that a friction mechanism be provided to hold thematerial 54 taut as it is fed between the rollers 31 and 41. To providefor this the members 55 are clamped to a shaft 56 ex tendingtransversely of the machine from one side frame 10 to the other, saidshaft being held in position by means of the set screw 57.

.The blocks 55 are adjustable about the axis'bf the.

shaft 56 and are secured in adjusted position by means of the set screw58. Extending from one block 55 to the other is a strip 59 clamped inposition by means of the nut 60. A wooden strip 62 is held against theinner face of the strip by means of rubber bands 63 or other equivalentmeans and the material 54 is passed between these strips 60 and 62 andsufiicient tension is created thereon to keep the material taut as itpasses over the idler roller 64 to the feed rolls 3]. and 41. As thematerial passes between the plates 60'and 62 of this friction device acertain amount oi electricity is generated in the material which it isvery necessary shouldbe eliminated therefrom before it ispresented tothe impression mechanism. In order to accomplish this a suitabledampening device is interposed between the friction device and the feedrollers. This dampening device consists of a trough 65 supported on theside frames 10 having suitable slots 66 at either end for the receptionof. the trunnions 67 of the lower dampening roll 68 and the trunnions 69of the pressure roll 70. The dampening roller 68 is partly immersed inwater or other suitable liquid contained within the trough 65, a certainamount of which is collected on the surface thereof as the roller isrevolved by its contact with the material being fed thereover'.

A suitable doctor plate 71 is provided which removes all surplusmaterial from said dampening roller and permits only the requisiteamount of liquid to be applied to the under face of the material passingbetween the rollers 68 and 70. The roller is of sufficient Weight toproduce a suitable pressure upon the material and squeeze therefrom anysurplus'liquid which may have accumulated thereon. The side frames 72are provided at either end with a depression73 in which the trunnions 69of the pressure roll may be inserted tohold the same out of positionwhile-new material is being passed over the dampening roller between thefeed rolls 31 and 41, these trunnions 69 being of suiiicient length toextend beyond the side plates so. that they may be readily handled bythe operator.

Cotiperating with the idler roller 64 is a perforator 75 mounted upon ashaft; 76 revoluble in hearings in the end of a lever 77 secured at 78,the ends of which are mounted in hearings in the side frames 10. Theopposite end of the lever 77 is provided with a slot 79 through vmember,is pivoted.

, 'whichiextends a shaft 80 extending from one side frame 10 to theother and secured in position therein by means of the set screw 81. Theslot 79 is elongated and at 82 through which is threaded the adjustingmembers 83 the inner ends OE VVlllCll bear upon saidshaft 80 and whichare held in adjusted position by the lock nuts 84. By this constructionit is obvious that any adjust ment may be readily accorded to theperforator so that any degree of bite upon the material may be securedas it passes over the idler supporting roller 64.

This makes a very convenient apparatus for feeding strips of material toa printing press or any other simi lar apparatus and it is believedthat-from the foregoing description the operation-and its advantageswill be fully apparent.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a printing press, the combination with a type bed, a platen, andmeans for giving an impression to stock passed between the twoyofa pairof.feed'rol1s; means operable bythe impression device for intermittentlyr0 tating one of said rolls; blocks slidable toward and from the, axisof said roll and supporting the other roll; a 'pivoted'tmember;adjustable 'devicessupported by said 7 pivoted member bearing upon saidblocks; springs for forcing said blocks and devices in contact; and anindependent adjustable tension mechanism interposed between the free endof said pivoted member and the frame to which said 2. In a printingpress, the combination with a type bed, a platen, and means for givingan impression to stock passed between the two; of a pair of feed rolls;means operableby the impression device for intermittently rotating oneof said rolls; blocks slidable toward and from the axis of said roll andsupporting the other roll; means for operating said blocks comprising apivoted member; ad-

justable devices bearing -upon said blocks; springs for fore-- ing saidblocks .anddevices in contact; a threaded rod pivoted to a fixed pointand extending through said memher; a spring surrounding said rod; and anadjustable nut on the threaded end of said rod.

3.- In a printing press, the combination with a type bed, z-l. platen,and meansfor moving one of said elements into ptsition to cooperate withthe other; of a pair of feed rolls; a pivoted pcrforator provided with aslotted arm; a fixed rod extending through said slot ;'and adjustablemembers in said lever cooperating with said rod to regulate theoperation of said perforator.

-l-. Ina printing press, the coinbination with a type bed, a platen, andmeans for giving an impression to stock passed between the two; of apair of feed rolls; means operable by the impression, device forintermittently rotating one of said rolls; blocks slidable toward andfrom the axis of said roll and supporting the other roll; means operable'-,upon said blocks for normally separating said rolls; a pivotedmember; adjustable devices bearing upon said-blocks; a threaded rodpivoted to a fixed point and extending through said member; a springsurrounding said rod; and an adjustable-nut on the threaded end ofsaidrod.

a.platen', and means for giving an impression to stock passed betweenthe two; of a pair of feed.rolls; means operable by the impressiondevice for intermittently rotatlng one of said rolls; blocks slidabletoward and from the axis of said roll and supporting the other roll;springs operable upon said blocks for' normally separating said rdlls; apivoted member; adjustable device's'bearing upon said blocks; a threadedrod pivoted to a fixed point and extending through said member; a springsurrounding said rod; and an adjustable nut on the threaded end of saidrod. I

6. In a printing press, the combination with a type bed,

a. In a printing press, the combination with a type bed,

n platen, and means for giving an impression to stock spring surroundingsaid rod; and an adjustable nut on the 10 passed between the two; of apair of feed rolls; means threaded end of said rod.

operable by the impression device for intermittently rotatsighed by meat Boston Mass" this 14th day of Decerm ing one of said rolls; blocksslidable toward and from the Del.

axis of said roll and supporting the other roll; means operable uponsaid blocks for normally separating said GEORGE I rolls: a pivotedmember members threaded to said pivoted Witnesses: member bearing uponsaid blocks; a threaded rod pivoted WALTER E. Lommnn,

to a fixed point and extending through said member; a EDNA C. CLEVELAND.

